Amniotic fluid cells and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells positive for CD24 and OB-cadherin and subpopulations thereof, as well as methods of isolating and uses thereof. The invention is further directed to preventing and treating kidney damage with a population of amniotic fluid derived c-kit positive stem cells.

1 . An isolated and purified population of amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells positive for CD24 and OB-cadherin. 
     
     
         2 . A clonal population of amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells positive for CD24 and OB-cadherin. 
     
     
         3 . The population cells of  claim 1 , wherein the cells further express E-cadherin, nephrin, TrkA, PDGFR-α, podocalixin or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The population of cells of  claim 1 , wherein the cells have the capacity to be induced to differentiate to metanephric, podocyte, stromogenic mesenchymal or mesanglial cells. 
     
     
         5 . The population of cells of  claim 1 , wherein the cells can be induced to differentiate in vivo or ex vivo. 
     
     
         6 . A composition comprising a population of amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells positive for CD24 and OB-cadherin of  claim 1  and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and/or culture medium. 
     
     
         7 . A method to prepare a composition comprising mixing the cells of  claim 1  or progeny differentiated therefrom and a carrier. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier is cell culture medium. 
     
     
         9 . A method of producing a population of amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells comprising selecting CD24 and OB-cadherin positive cells from an amniotic fluid sample. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the selecting is performed using an antibody against CD24 and an antibody against OB-cadherein. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further selecting for E-cadherin, nephrin, TrkA, PDGFR-α or podocalixin. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the selecting is by fluorescence activated cell sorting or high gradient magnetic selection. 
     
     
         13 . An isolated and purified population of amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells positive for CD24 and OB-cadherin prepared by the method of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         14 . A method to proliferate a population of cells enriched for amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells comprising:
 a. selecting at least one CD24 and OB-Cadherin positive cell from an amniotic fluid sample;   b. introducing said at least one cell to a culture medium; and   c. proliferating said at least one selected cell in the culture medium.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the cells further express E-cadherin, nephrin, TrkA, PDGFR-α or podocalixin. 
     
     
         16 . A method to differentiate an isolated and purified population of amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells positive for CD24 and OB-cadherin comprising contacting said population with at least one differentiation factor. 
     
     
         17 . A method of storing an isolated and purified population of amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells positive for CD24 and OB-cadherin comprising obtaining an amniotic fluid sample from a human subject; isolating a population of CD24 and OB-cadherin positive renal progenitor cells from said sample; and cryopreserving the amniotic fluid derived renal progenitor cells positive for CD24 and OB-cadherin. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the cells further express E-cadherin, nephrin, TrkA, PDGFR-α or podocalixin. 
     
     
         19 . A method to prevent or treat kidney disease or injury comprising administering to a subject an amount of the cells of  claim 1  or progeny differentiated therefrom effective to treat the disease or injury. 
     
     
         20 . A method to prevent or treat kidney disease or injury comprising administering to a subject an amount of a population of c-kit positive cells isolated and purified from amniotic fluid or progeny differentiated therefrom effective to treat the disease or injury. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  or  20 , wherein the subject is a mammal. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the mammal is a human. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  or  20 , wherein the cells are administered by local or systemic injection. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19  or  20 , wherein the disease comprises diabetic nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, membranous focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, mild glomerular lesions, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, intraductal proliferative glomerulonephritis, mesangial capillary glomerulonephritis, high-density precipitation glomerulonephritis, crescentic glomerulonephritis, sclerosing glomerulonephritis, ischemic nephropathy, glomerular disease based on systematic diseas, glomerular diseases based on vascular disease, glomerular disease based on metabolic diseases, hereditary renal lesions or transplanted glomerular lesions. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the hereditary renal lesions result in Alport's syndrome. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19  or  20 , wherein the injury is a result of physical trauma. 
     
     
         27 .- 31 . (canceled)